Brayden Kelch runs BK Junk Removal in Shawnee County, Kansas. He started the junk removal side a year ago, and his mom, Amy, let him park his trailers on her property. When the trailers weren’t out on jobs, they just sat there. So the two of them came up with a simple idea: rent them out. That’s how the trailer rental side of BK Junk Removal began. About four months later, they added tables and chairs.
Most customers find them on Facebook Marketplace. People book a trailer rental for work jobs or weekend projects, and the tables and chairs go to all kinds of events. It’s a two-person family business. Amy handles ordering and customer meetups, and Brayden takes care of deliveries and maintenance. “Being able to run a business that is seeing success with my mom is a reality I never put much thought into, but it’s one of the biggest blessings of my adult life,” Brayden says.
Around the time they added tables and chairs, they found Booqable. Now it’s their rental management back office. Orders still come in through Facebook Marketplace messages and phone calls, but every one of them gets entered into Booqable, along with how the customer is paying.
Keeping every order in one place
Before Booqable, BK Junk Removal ran its trailer rental business through Facebook Marketplace posts and paper flyers. Orders came in from different places, and keeping track of them was the hardest part. “Organization was our biggest issue before Booqable, hands down,” Brayden says.
Customers still reach out through Facebook Marketplace or by phone. Amy takes each request and enters the order herself through the Booqable back office point of sale. As she adds products, she can see right away what’s available on the customer’s dates, so she can confirm a trailer rental while they’re still on the phone.
Brayden says having all their inventory in one place has made a big difference. Instead of guessing what’s booked, Amy can check and confirm every order from one screen.
With order management, BK Junk Removal can:
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Keep every Marketplace and phone order together in one list
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Check availability for trailers, tables, and chairs before confirming a booking
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Record whether each customer is paying by card or cash on arrival
Brayden and Amy no longer piece orders together from messages and flyers. Every booking has one home, so nothing slips through and they can say yes to customers faster.
Checking orders while on the road
Brayden spends most of his day out on deliveries and maintenance, so he isn’t always near a computer. Before, if someone asked whether a trailer was free, he had to wait until he got home or check with Amy.
The Booqable mobile point of sale is an app he downloaded onto his phone and tablet. It connects to the same back office, so he can open an order, see what’s been booked, and update it while he’s out. “If I want to see availability on my inventory, I just go in the app and see if it’s been rented or not yet,” he says. When he’s back home, he uses the back office on his computer.
With the mobile point of sale, BK Junk Removal can:
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Check trailer rental availability from anywhere
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Look up order details before a delivery or pickup
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Update orders on the spot when plans change
Brayden can answer customer questions right away instead of waiting until he gets home. And because he and Amy see the same orders, they’re always working from the same information.
More time and more repeat customers
Booqable has given Brayden and Amy back the hours they used to spend sorting out each order. “I have way more time since I’m not figuring out the logistics of each order coming in every day,” Brayden says. They’re also seeing more repeat customers and higher ratings, and having all their inventory in one place has made a real difference.
Looking ahead, Brayden hopes rentals become the whole business, run from home with a focus on customer care.
For BK Junk Removal, a few spare trailers turned into a growing trailer rental and event rental business. With Booqable keeping every order and all their availability in one place, and the mobile app keeping Brayden connected on the road, this mother and son team saves hours per customer and has room to grow.